Some Bushisms for the record, lest we forget

An inflated effigy of President George W. Bush which served as the target of a shoe-throwing event staged in Washington, D.C.

CHUCK MYERS/MCT

“So long,” sang Woody Guthrie, “it’s been good to know you.”

I’m humming that tune as George W. rides off into the sunset — just an old cowpoke headed back home to his Texas spread. No, he’s not headed to that hokey ranchette in Crawford that Karl Rove insisted he buy
in 1999 to spiff up his image as a “Western guy” running for president. (Bush’s “ranch,” by the way, is so hokey that he has no livestock on it! He literally is all
hat, no cattle.) Instead, George is retiring to a posh $2 million house in one
of Dallas’ wealthiest cul-de-sacs, where he’ll fit in quite comfortably with such upscale neighbors as T. Boone Pickens and
Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks.

Of course, most Americans don’t care where he goes, as long as he’s gone. But I have to concede that, as a columnist who got a lot of mileage out
of him, it was good to know him. It’s going to seem strange to have a president who is able to speak in complete
sentences, containing verbs and everything. Where’s the fun in that?

So, already feeling nostalgic for the steady flow of gaffes and goofs from Bush’s mouth to our ears, it seems appropriate to send him off with a retrospective
of some of his best insights, in his own words:

On his role as president:

“I’m the person who gets to decide, not you” (2002).

“I really appreciate the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce for giving me an
opportunity to explain why I have made some of the decisions I have made. My
job is a decision-making job. And as a result, I make a lot of decisions” (2007).

“I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions” (2009).

On his Iraq war:

“I’m the commander. I do not need to explain why I say things. That’s the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to
explain to me why they say something, but I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation” (2002).

“Mission accomplished” (2003).

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop
thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we” (2004).

“I think — tide turning — see, as I remember, I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of — it’s easy to see a tide turn” (2006).

“You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on
terror” (2006).

“I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me” (2006).

“I think I was unprepared for war” (2008).

On the economic decline in 2008:

“The economy is growing; productivity is high; trade is up; people are working.”

“Wait a minute. What did you just say? You’re predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That’s interesting. I hadn’t heard that.”

“We got plenty of money in Washington. What we need is more priority.”

“This thaw took a while to thaw. It’s going to take a while to unthaw.”

“Anyone engaging in illegal financial transactions will be caught and persecuted.”